Poots celebrates completion of redevelopment of Lough Neagh Rescue Centre

Rural Affairs Minister, Edwin Poots MLA has returned to the new Lough Neagh Rescue Centre at Kinnego Marina.

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots pictured with Philip Smyth, Director, Lough Neagh Rescue at the ribbon cutting opening of the new state-of-the-art facilities at Kinnego Station in County Armagh.

The £640,000 project, which received a grant of £480,000 from the NI Rural Development Programme’s Co-Operation Scheme, also included refurbishment work to the “Gary Breen” boat as a rescue command vessel to bring it up to “boat code” standard, together with the provision of four high spec glamping pods at the marina, along with new fencing, road resurfacing and a utility block refit inside and out. It was delivered in co-operation with 3 Local Action Groups:-  SOAR (ABC) in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area, MURDP (Mid Ulster Rural Development Programme) and GROW (South Antrim).

At the event, Minister Poots said: “Its gives me great pleasure to return to Kinnego to see the completed Lough Neagh Rescue Centre – the £680k project received some £480k rural development funding and is a perfect example of the difference this funding can make to everyday lives. The new facility allows Lough Neagh Rescue to provide a more enhanced service to the community and enable vital training to take place in a modern training environment. This is now a state-of-the-art rescue centre and it will make the Lough a much safer place in which to enjoy the activities on the open water and the wildlife around it.”

Minister Poots also met with family members of Gary Breen, after whom the boat is named, and Jim McCann, a volunteer crew member. Gary sadly lost his life on the lough 30 years ago and his family undertook a massive fundraising campaign to fund the original rescue vessel. The volunteers at the centre named their tearoom after Jim, who passed away 10 years ago, and both men were remembered at the official launch that took place on Saturday, 24 September. 

Minister Poots added: “I was honoured to meet with members of both Gary and Jim’s families. The naming of the boat and the tearoom after these men will ensure their memories live on around this part of the lough for many, many years to come.”

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Paul Greenfield said: “This superb, new centre will have a hugely positive impact in the local area, helping the Lough Neagh Rescue team continue to do their search and rescue operations, benefiting not only the local area but indeed the entire community surrounding the lough. In addition to a modern, fit for purpose rescue centre, this co-operation project also supported the upgrade of the ‘Gary Breen’ rescue boat, helping bring it up to the required boat code standards and as a result enhancing the lifesaving service of this invaluable, voluntary search and rescue organisation.”  

Chair of LAG, Cllr Kyle Savage added: “I am delighted that the Lough Neagh Rescue building has been officially opened. This Lough Neagh co-operation project is the culmination of many years of hard work to get these elements of the project completed. The Lough Neagh Rescue building is a real pride within the local community and can now be used to house the rescue boat along with providing rooms for training and a safe, warm place for relatives to wait should their family be involved in a search and rescue operation. The upgrade of the Gary Breen rescue vessel will be a tremendous asset to Lough Neagh Rescue and enable them to enhance their search and rescue efforts across the entire Lough Neagh area.”

Notes to editors: 

1. The Co-Operation Scheme was a part of the NI Rural Development Programme (2014-2020). The Co-Operation Scheme encouraged and supported Local Action Groups (LAGs) to undertake joint actions with other LAGs. SOAR (ABC) is the lead on the Lough Neagh Co-Operation project.
2. Twenty projects across NI were supported under the Co-Operation Scheme, and a total of £4million has been allocated to the scheme.
3. In MURDP, the project encompassed the refurbishment of 77 angling stands and the installation of 1km of access trail on the River Bann at Portglenone. It also involved a “grasscrete” area to facilitate vehicle access for canoe launching, new wildlife viewing platform, canoe and bike stands/storage, tenting/camping area, and linear walkways at Washing Bay. That project was a £205,000 project and it received a grant of £122,207 from the Co-Operation Scheme.
4. In GROW (South Antrim); the co-operation project entailed physical improvements at Lough Shore Park, Antrim, to improve access to and the attractiveness of Lough Neagh at the Antrim side. This included landscaping works, refurbishment of hard landscape elements in other areas and adding barriers, picnic tables and other features were appropriate. It also included works to improve the jetties and slipways. That project cost £332,634 and it received a grant of £209,896 -all projects are now complete.
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6. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office: pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk.
7. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours’ service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
8. For further information on SOAR please go to www.soarni.org.

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